thorny

英 [ˈθɔːni]

美 [ˈθɔːrni]

adj.  棘手的; 麻烦的; 引起争议的; 有刺的; 多刺的

最高级：thorniest　比较级：thornier　

TOEFLGREIELTS

Collins.1 / BNC.18411 / COCA.13200

牛津词典

adj.

• 棘手的；麻烦的；引起争议的
  causing difficulty or disagreement
  1. a thorny question/issue/problem
     棘手的问题
• 有刺的；多刺的
  having thorns
  1. a thorny bush
     有刺的灌木

柯林斯词典

• ADJ (植物、树木)带刺的，多刺的
  Athornyplant or tree is covered with thorns.
  1. ...thorny hawthorn trees.
     长满刺的山楂树
• ADJ-GRADED (问题)棘手的，复杂难解的，令人头疼的
  If you describe a problem asthorny, you mean that it is very complicated and difficult to solve, and that people are often unwilling to discuss it.
  1. ...the thorny issue of immigration policy...
     移民政策这个棘手问题
  2. It is essential that we tackle this thorny problem.
     我们很有必要处理这个棘手问题。

英英释义

adj

• having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc.
  1. a horse with a short bristly mane
  2. bristly shrubs
  3. burred fruits
  4. setaceous whiskers
  Synonym:barbedbarbellatebriarybrierybristledbristlyburredburrypricklysetosesetaceousspiny
• bristling with perplexities
  1. the thorny question of states' rights

双语例句

• Moreover, Chinese firms must wrestle with thorny regulatory and political issues.
  更为突出的是，中国人的公司必须与难搞的监管和政治事项相角力。
• The so-called puppy love problem is a thorny issue for all teachers.
  老师们大都把早恋看作一个棘手的问题。
• Thorny issues such as women's role in agriculture and land tenure rights must also be tackled.
  还必须解决女性在农业中的作用以及土地权等棘手的问题。
• China and neighboring countries promoted the integration process and worked together to solve many thorny issues.
  促进了互利合作，推进了地区一体化建设，共同努力妥善处理和解决地区的热点问题。
• Race relations in the US continue to be a thorny problem. Racism remains a touchy issue.
  美国的种族关系一直是棘手的问题。种族主义可是个要小心处理的问题。
• In a specification of hundreds of pages, consistency is a thorny problem.
  在一部有着数百页的规格说明里，一致性是一个棘手的问题。
• A broad question& but also a thorny one in this circumstance.
  这是一个很宽泛的问题，但考虑到提问背景，这也是一个很尖锐的问题。
• Tax arbitrage has always been a thorny issue.
  税收套利一直是个棘手的问题。
• Now we come to the thorny question of cost.
  现在我们来讨论成本这个棘手的问题。
• Its relations with international rulemakers can be thorny: think of the World Trade Organisation.
  美国与国际规则制定者之间的关系常常很棘手：例如和世界贸易组织。